Your body is a network of complex systems that can be tough to figure out. Take, for example, the central nervous system, the ultimate overseer of the body’s complex systems. In your central nervous system, the spine is in place to protect the spinal cord, which in turn sends out messages from the brain to your body’s muscles, tissues, organs and more. If just one vertebra is even a tiny bit out of alignment, your body’s other systems experience interference, and you feel unwell.
Fortunately, your body also has several ways to warn you when something’s not quite right — and your child’s body does, too. Often, your body’s warning signs appear as physical or behavioral issues, particularly in children. What are some of the warning signs to watch for?
Here are six easily missed signals that your child’s spine might be out of alignment — and what to do next.
Signal #1: A Weak Immune System
Does your child seem to catch every virus that goes around? This could be a sign of a spine that’s out of alignment (called a subluxation).
The body’s immune system is a great example of how the body’s complex system can work. The brain recognizes a threat (like a virus), then orders the body to produce antibodies to combat the invader.
When your child’s immune system is operating well, they won’t display many symptoms of having come down with a cold, flu, or other common childhood illness, because their immune systems fought them off without incident.
But when your child’s spine is misaligned, these messages from the brain to the muscles and organs get interrupted, and the body doesn’t function properly. This can result in your child’s body being unable to fight off the illnesses going around, especially this time of year.
A 2009 study concluded that regular chiropractic adjustments for children resulted in a better-working immune system. The children who regularly visited the chiropractor for chiropractic adjustments were sick much less often and even found themselves in a better emotional state.
Signal #2: A Troubled Sleep Pattern
A spine that’s out of alignment can have a detrimental effect on many areas of life, including quality of sleep. Depending on age, children need between nine and 14 hours of sleep each night.
When your child misses out on the essential number of sleep hours, harmful side effects can result. Lack of sleep can result in an impaired cognitive function, specifically the loss of concentration, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
Signal #3: Poor Posture
Parents typically remind a child to correct his or her posture when slouching while walking or sitting. But modern conveniences can also be hidden culprits. Did you know the typical child spends up to 8.5 hours each day sitting with electronics? Translation: extended hours spent bent over video games and laptops, slumped in a chair watching television, or sitting with their eyes glued to a cell-phone, all which can lead to misalignment of the spine.
If you suspect your child might already have a subluxation that’s leading to poor posture, these extremely common activities are only going to exacerbate it.
Signal #4: ADHD Symptoms & Other Behavioral Problems
A child’s behavioral difficulties often come to a head when they’re trying to get acclimated to a classroom environment. Did you know these behavior difficulties can also be a sign your child’s spine is out of alignment?
Children experience a marked improvement in ADHD symptoms and other behavioral, social, and emotional difficulties following regular chiropractic adjustments, a 2010 study noted.
Signal #5: Asthma and/or Food Allergies
It can feel incredibly frustrating when you’re trying to help your child deal with ailments like regular runny noses, itchy eyes, asthma, and food allergies. Thankfully, chiropractic care can often provide relief.
Nerve interference can be the culprit in these types of allergies — it’s yet another signal your child’s body is sending out to tell you something is amiss.
Allergies happen when the immune system overreacts to food or airborne substance that it mistakenly assesses as harmful. The body creates antibodies to fight back, even though it’s not really in danger. When your child’s body is properly aligned and functioning, it will likely not react in this manner.
Signal #6: Digestion and Elimination Issues
The central nervous system oversees the complex process of digesting food and eliminating waste. When something is interfering with the nerves, it can affect how the body functions. The result is common digestion and elimination problems like colic, reflux, constipation, and diarrhea.
Many children experiencing these types of common childhood digestive and elimination issues saw huge improvements with regular chiropractic treatment, making it a viable alternative to traditional drug therapies.
Chiropractic care was designed specifically to treat patients of all ages in a holistic way, taking the time to discover the root cause of discomfort or poor health.
If you recognize any of these six silent signs your child’s spine could be out of alignment, make an appointment online with us now or call our office at (865) 270-5979. We look forward to helping your child — and by extension, your whole family — enjoy a much healthier life.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for in-person advice, care from a medical professional or medical treatment.